How to Build Effective Relationships with Employees

A busy team of engaged employees are the beating heart of any successful business. You might have reached this stage based on your initiative and drive, but to expand your business you need to be able to rely on employees to share the increasing workload.

Building effective relationships with your growing number of staff is mutually beneficent. You’ll feel confident that employees understand the goals of your business and that they can carry this knowledge with them as a brand representative, whilst enjoying a positive workplace based on trust and cooperation.

With this in mind, here are some simple steps you can take to build and maintain strong, successful relationships with employees.

Stay in constant communication

No matter how busy you are, it’s important to always stay in touch. Be present in the office as often as possible, but if travel is an essential part of your role then stay in touch via email or IMs. Employees need to feel confident that they can reach you at all times, whether in an emergency or just to swing a new idea by you.

This also means being honest with your employees about the decisions and challenges facing the business. It shows you trust their discretion and opinion, and gives them the confidence to trust you in return.

Practise active listening

Practise the art of active listening and you can learn a lot about how your employees view the business and their jobs. This basically means that you should talk less, concentrate fully on paying attention to what your employees are saying, and how they say it.

Implement an open door policy so that employees can easily come and talk in an informal and relaxed setting when they need or want to.

Invest in employee development

Take interest in the personal development of your employees. Give them opportunities to grow. It can only benefit your business and improve productivity. Your business can a lot better if your staff learn new ways and technologies that can make their work a lot more efficient. Stay ahead of your industry as a team and your staff will deliver their best work.

Ask their opinion

The biggest advantage to anonymous surveys is that employees can give their honest opinion without fear of a backlash. You’ll gain an insight you otherwise wouldn’t have, and addressing any problems that arise will show employees that you value their opinion.

Reward hard work

When you’re wrapped up making sure that your business is the best it can be, it’s easy to forget that good employees are working equally as hard.

There are lots of small ways of showing your appreciation that don’t have to break the bank. Reward their efforts with regular company events to celebrate achievements and take a well-earned break.

Do you have any top tips for building positive working relationships? If so, get in touch in the comments.

Founding Editor @Alltopstartups, Columnist @Inc. Magazine and Curator at Postanly (his free weekly digest of the best life and career improvement posts on the web). Subscribe for free. Check out his books on Amazon.